EDITORIAL: MTSU ripe for move to C-USA

Almost all visiting graduates of yesteryear have muttered those words while walking across the Middle Tennessee State University campus: "I don't even recognize this place."

Soon, returning alumni will see different logos spread across the campus. And like the previous point of unfamiliarity, it is a sign of progress.

On Monday, MTSU will officially join Conference USA - a Division I athletic league touting a higher status, better economic means and more athletic opportunities than the Sun Belt Conference, the university's home since 2001.

It is the right move at the right time. We applaud MTSU for taking the steady route to a better conference affiliation.

Membership earned

MTSU will be among 16 members in the new C-USA roster, including eight newcomers. But the local university is perhaps the best suited across the board for the move.

Since the late President James Walker pushed MTSU into its Division I-A era in 1999, the university has taken steady steps forward. Under current President Sidney McPhee, MTSU has undergone its largest expansion of academic programs, doctoral degrees, facility improvements and athletic success to date.

All have pointed toward the next level of the university's league affiliation in C-USA, a position it earned rather than simply received.

MTSU and Florida Atlantic were the last of the new eight members to receive C-USA invitations, but the order was driven more by politics and media markets than a university's readiness for such a step.

MTSU's undergraduate enrollment of more than 25,000 and its $21 million athletic budget compare competitively to C-USA's new membership, and at least the latter certainly will grow. Its overall athletic success ranks right at the top among new and old members. And MTSU's infrastructure has been built and tested over time to handle another expansion undoubtedly around the corner as a C-USA member.

Last November when MTSU was offered an invitation to C-USA, the administration showed no hesitation in accepting the bid. No pause was needed. Progress has been the university's path for years, and the pace has picked up over the past decade. Joining C-USA is simply a logical step in the direction the university has been headed for quite some time.

So while growing pains are sure to come, MTSU's maturation has prepared it to take on such hurdles. On Monday, the university will celebrate another milestone in its history, both athletically and campus-wide. We tip our hats to MTSU for earning a day of celebration.

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EDITORIAL: MTSU ripe for move to C-USA

Almost all visiting graduates of yesteryear have muttered those words while walking across the Middle Tennessee State University campus: 'I don't even recognize this place.'